The present invention relates to steerage and propulsion of maritime vessels, with particular embodiments relating to steerage of towboats.
Towboats or push-boats are specialized tugs often used in inland or coastal waterways to propel a series of unpowered barges. As one example, the towboat 1 shown in FIG. 1 is pushing two barges 100 in-line, but it is common for a towboat to push additional barges both in-line and side-by-side. Because the navigation channels of inland waterways are often narrow with comparatively sharp bends (especially in relation to a lengthy chain or “tow” of barges), precision steering is of the utmost importance. FIG. 1 suggests one problem encountered where a turn (to port in FIG. 1) results in the stern of towboat 1 moving in the starboard direction (i.e., “sliding”) to a much greater degree than the head of the tow. This excessive slide can be problematic from the standpoint of the towboat stern moving outside the navigation channel or striking other nearby objects/vessels. Techniques for enhancing vessel steerage offer considerable advantages in this industry.